Destiny's Amends
by roswellwbfan
Summary: On Hiatus...Mostly Isabel POV about postDestiny life. AU fic in the sense that it it ignores the 3rd season. Specifically, what issues have arisen and what, if anything, she can do about them.
1. Default Chapter

Spoilers: Up through "A Roswell Christmas Carol"  
Author's Note: Like so many, I am only borrowing the characters portrayed within. Warner Brothers, Jason Katims, Melinda Metz and others own these wonderful characters. No harm is intended and only the noblest of intentions are present. Please do not sue me...  
  
  
Isabel tossed and turned; her sleep haunted by images her conscious mind feared facing.  
  
"Your name was Valahndra, and you had a love. And for that love you sacrificed everything, including yourself."  
  
"betrayed your brother..."  
  
Isabel awoke with a start, a fine sheen of sweat covering her body. She had been plagued by these visions in her dreams nightly. She shoved the blankets off and got out of bed, too keyed up to try and sleep again. Pacing around the room she forced herself to think about the dreams. There was something about the whole experience that had been bothering her, but she couldn't put her finger on it. Every night she lived through the series of events that led to the discovery of her "other" identity, and every night it seemed as though she was supposed to see something she hadn't before, pay attention to some forgotten element. What was it?  
  
Groaning in frustration she threw herself down on the bed. Staring at the ceiling she tried in vain to think about something else, anything else, like Alex...no, not Alex. If it were possible it was worse to think about Alex. Her conscience gave a little pang, she really did need to devote some quality time to thinking, and more importantly acting, on that front but not tonight. To her horror she could feel tears begin to well up as they often did nowadays, especially when she thought about him. With a Herculean effort she clamped down her emotions and forced her mind to reflect again on tonight's dream, turning it over and over.  
  
Max found her in that position, staring up at the ceiling, one arm draped across her forehead, her brows knitted together in obvious concentration the next morning.  
  
"Iz, are you okay?" he asked as he perched himself on the side of the bed. She looked beat, still great, but beat nonetheless. Only Isabel could look like a supermodel after only an hour of sleep, which Max guessed was the total amount she had managed last night.  
  
She managed a small smile as she gathered herself and pulled upright to sit next to him. How she would love to tell him everything, to have him listen and tell her everything was okay, or at least that it soon would be all right. But this was Max. Max was their predestined leader, and she couldn't do that to him, couldn't add to his already full load of worries...because that's what talking to him would do. It had always been somewhat like this Isabel mused as she wondered what to tell her brother. Max was a fixer. It was hard for him to hear about someone in trouble and not try to help.  
  
Now it was worse. She had no doubts it was worse for him, but it was still worse. Now Max had the fate of an entire race on his shoulders, and even mentioning her concerns would only increase his already constant state of worry about her and Michael. As much as she hated it there was only one thing to say that would not prompt further questioning.  
  
"I was thinking about...about...about Alex." She sighed as she said it. Just as she had thought, Max simply put his arm around her and held her close, saying nothing.  
  
As they drove to school she felt a little guilty about her lie. Although it was technically a lie she had spent some time last night thinking about Alex. Not nearly enough, her conscience mocked her again, but she had thought of him.   
  
Actually what she felt guilty about was using Alex to stop Max from asking any questions. She knew that it would do the trick because any talk of her now non-existent, could-have-been a love life would bring them too close to a discussion of Max's own once-upon-a-time. And that was a subject no one mentioned. Not since Kyle and Liz had managed to destroy Max's happiness.  
  
Her heart leapt as her brain recognized that this was a subject she could ponder for a while without the immediate threat of tears. Kyle and Liz. She still couldn't believe what the rumor mill was saying, but the look of pain on Max's face any time he saw Liz was proof enough for Isabel.  
  
And yet it didn't make any sense. Liz was so in love with Max, and still was. Anyone with functioning brain cells could tell that just by looking at her watching him. Maybe she should look into it a little further. She hated seeing Max so upset, and Liz too for that matter.  
  
She felt a small measure of surprise as she felt the truth behind that statement. She really did care for Liz, she realized. Maybe she didn't stop to think about it often enough but Liz had ended up being a terrific friend. Growing up the way she did it was hard for Isabel to get truly close to anyone besides Max and Michael. Sure circumstances could have been a lot less dangerous but Isabel was glad that she finally had other people with whom she could truly be herself.  
  
For the second time that morning she felt surprised at her realization, and for the first time felt a genuine smile find its way to her lips.  
  
In geometry class Isabel spent her time watching her friends. Specifically she focused on Liz and Kyle. Liz looked bad, really worn out and if you looked very closely you could tell she had recently been crying. Kyle, on the other hand, looked almost giddy. He wasn't focusing on the lesson at all; he was doodling in his notebook with this silly grin plastered on his face. Isabel wondered what was making him so happy and started to watch his hand, to see if she could tell what he was drawing. After a while it became evident that he was writing the same thing over and over. Supremely interested now she intensified her perusal and waited patiently to decipher his scribbles.  
  
A few minutes later she realized that she was too far away or else his handwriting was too bad for her to clearly make it out. She needed to see the notebook up close. To do that she needed to get closer to Kyle. She let out a sigh, and as she realized her teacher was looking at her she quickly turned it into a cough. Realizing she had inadvertently come up a plan she intensified her coughing slightly. No reason to get all drama queen and pretend she was choking, she thought to herself. Isabel quieted her coughing, allowing a few moments to pass before she started again. This time she raised her hand after the first few seconds.  
  
"May I please get a drink of water?" she asked. Bingo! Now she could nonchalantly walk over to Kyle's desk and see what he was doing. She stood up, careful to continue coughing slightly. As she made her way over to Kyle she thought about what she was doing, wondering if she were overstepping her bounds. A quick look back at Liz and then Max helped ease her mind.  
  
Kyle remained blissfully unaware of her presence as she passed him. Looking down she almost starting choking for real. On every line, in different scripts, was a single word: Tess.  
  



	2. Chapter Two

Title: Destiny's Amends, Chapter Two   
Spoilers: Up through "A Roswell Christmas Carol"  
  
Synopsis: Mostly Isabel POV about life post-Destiny. Specifically the story deals with her identification of issues that have arisen and what, if anything, she can do about them.  
  
Author's Note: Thank you so much to all of you who sent me feedback on chapter one...you guys are awesome!  
  
Out in the hallway Isabel's mind worked to absorb all of the possible implications her discovery unearthed. It was when she realized that she didn't know if Liz had been crying because she found out that Kyle apparently had a thing for Tess or because of something else that she decided she needed to do something.  
  
At lunch Isabel was still mulling over her discovery when Max and Michael confronted her.  
  
"All right Iz, what was with the whole coughing thing in geometry?" Leave it to Michael to not beat around the bush, she thought to herself. Fortunately Isabel had already thought through this particular inevitable discussion.  
  
"I was falling asleep. I thought if I could get up for a second and walk around I could stay awake but I knew I couldn't just ask 'Hey, can I go walk around? Your lecture is putting me to sleep!' so I had to think of something. I know it was lame but it was the best I could do. The last thing any of us needs is to get extra attention because our school performances suddenly change. And I knew that falling asleep would be a red flag so I tried to make it seem normal."  
  
"I'm sorry Iz, it's just that it seemed a little weird," Max said as he and Michael sat down across from her.  
  
"Was it that obvious? Do you think anyone else noticed I was faking it?" Isabel asked.  
  
"I doubt it," Michael replied. "Except maybe Maria but she didn't say anything or look at you so I don't think she even noticed." As he mentioned her name he looked over to the table where she, Liz, and Alex were sitting.   
  
Isabel thought about Michael and Maria's relationship. What was the difference that made Maria at least appear to be part of this plane of existence, when compared to Liz?  
  
Then it hit her. It was hope. Maria knew that Michael and Isabel had no intention of being together as their destinies had foretold, and besides that Michael had no interest in anyone but Maria. He was only keeping her at arm's length so he could feel like she was safe and that he could try to prepare himself for whatever lay waiting in the future.  
So Maria may be thinking that it's only a matter of time before Michael came back to her, Isabel thought. But Liz was a different story. Liz knew that Tess had feelings for Max. And she had been there when the vision had appeared, telling the four aliens of their destinies. She had walked away from Max, telling him to be with Tess.  
  
It was obvious that the decision had cost her part of her soul, but what about her sanity? What would make her give up so completely on Max that she would sleep with Kyle?  
  
Isabel pursued this line of thought as she ate an apple. "Maybe I should put myself in her shoes," she mused. "Okay, I have just heard that the love of my life has a wife from a past life who is here on Earth. I know that said wife wants to be with my soulmate. It is not looking good, but I do know that he wants to be with me, not her."  
  
Isabel knew that was true. She knew Max wanted to be with Liz more than he wanted to take his next breath. And Liz knew that Max wanted to be with her, not Tess. So why would she do that? Why would she do something that would completely push Max away? Isabel hadn't heard the details of the rumor but she knew alcohol had not been mentioned, so maybe it wasn't a mistake. Maybe Liz did it on purpose to get Max to accept his destiny.  
  
But wasn't that a bit extreme? Having sex to make Max... a thought hit her with such force that Isabel choked on her apple for real as she contemplated it.  
  
"Iz, are you okay? What's wrong?" Max and Michael were frantic as they pounded her back.  
  
"No, no, I'm fine..."she whispered as she struggled to regain control of her breathing, "I just swallowed wrong. I guess that coughing stunt made me more susceptible than I am usually. I'm okay, really."  
  
But Isabel was not okay. She looked over at Liz as she saw the pieces come together.  
  
What if Liz had pretended to sleep with Kyle? That would make more sense than actually sleeping with him, Isabel decided.   
  
It was so out of character for Liz to hurt Max like this that there must be an explanation besides the obvious. And Isabel was going to find out what it was.  
  
The only question was how to go about it. Isabel cringed as she recognized that although this very morning she had been thinking about what a good friend Liz was, she herself had not been a very good friend to Liz, especially since the whole destiny thing.  
  
"Well it's time to change all that," Isabel said aloud, forgetting that she wasn't alone.  
  
"Time to change what?" Max asked.  
  
"The way I have my sweaters organized. Right now they are by color. I think I want them by material, and then color."  
  
Max and Michael just looked at each other and shook their heads. Isabel was known for arranging and rearranging things, and so the lie was accepted without question.  
  
Isabel took a deep breath and started down the hall toward Liz's locker. She had thought about approaching her at lunch but Liz and Maria ate lunch with Alex, and approaching Alex was out of the question. At least for the moment, her inner voice amended.  
  
"Hey Liz." Did she really sound that nervous? Isabel wondered. She was that nervous but hated to think she sounded like it.  
  
Liz jumped and her eyes widened slightly as she noticed who it was. Her gaze flicked over Isabel's shoulder as if to see if anyone else was there, a move Isabel noticed. At the knowing look in Isabel's eyes Liz felt the heat rise in her cheeks.  
  
"What's up, Isabel?" A sudden though struck. "Nothing's wrong is it? No one's in trouble are they?"  
  
Isabel hadn't even considered that her appearance would trigger such a response, and it was her turn to blush. "Further evidence of my lack of friendship skills," she told herself. She shook her head as she answered.  
"No, everything's okay. Well actually, there is something I wanted to talk to you about."  
  
Liz's heart sank. Please don't let her ask me about Kyle or Max oh please Liz thought as she buried her head in her locker pretending to look for a notebook. Actually she had half expected Isabel to approach her sooner or later, after all Max was her brother and she probably felt like she needed to defend him or something.  
  
"Um sure, what is it?" She asked, not wanting to meet Isabel's gaze in case she was going to ask about either guy.  
  
"Wow, this is harder than I thought it was going to be."  
  
Hearing that Liz kept rummaging in her locker, her stomach doing flip-flops. Finally she couldn't stand waiting and she turned to face Isabel.  
  
At the look of resigned apprehension on Liz's face Isabel started to laugh, surprising them both.  
  
"Liz, it's not that bad!"  
  
Still unsure where this was going Liz allowed herself to smile slightly.  
  
"Then what is it?"  
  
I really should have thought this through before coming over here, Isabel mused. Then inspiration struck.  
  
"Do you remember that day we sat outside and painted our toenails together?"  
  
Now it was Liz's turn to laugh.  
  
"What made you think of that? Wow, that seems like a million years ago!" The reality of her statement caused both girls to become somber again.  
  
"I've been thinking about us being friends, or rather about how we aren't friends, really. And especially since this whole destiny thing..." Isabel faltered as she saw Liz's face pale at the mention of the word "destiny." "I've realized that there are so few people to count on. Remember when we were painting our nails we talked about how hard it was to let someone in? Well I felt that day and I still do feel that you and I started to become real friends. But then all of this stuff complicated everything and I didn't stop to think that we hadn't continued trying to be friends. Well we're the kind of friends who share a life-threatening secret. But we aren't friends based on anything else. And I recently realized that I have been taking for granted the fact that you'll be there to support me, all of us, no matter what. I feel like you'll always be there out of loyalty. And I guess what I am trying to say is I want to change that so you'll be there for me out of friendship. So what do you think? Can we try to be friends again and start hanging out?"  
  
A huge smile broke out on Liz's face, due in part to relief, she acknowledged to herself.  
  
"Yeah, that'd be great." Her smile widened even further as she realized that she was really glad Isabel had come up to her. She knew how hard it was for Isabel to open up like that and was pleased to have been able to coax it out of her, albeit unknowingly.  
  
Isabel smiled too, and a much larger part was due to relief. Suddenly Isabel felt like things were going to be better, and she found herself in a hurry to start building her and Liz's friendship.  
  
Sensing Isabel's mood Liz smiled and asked her, "So, when do you want to hang out?"  
  
Smiling even more, Isabel replied with a laugh, "How about tonight?"   



	3. Chapter Three

Title: Destiny's Amends, Chapter Three   
Spoilers: Up through "A Roswell Christmas Carol"  
  
Synopsis: Mostly Isabel POV about life post-Destiny. Specifically the story deals with her identification of issues that have arisen and what, if anything, she can do about them.  
  
Author's Note: Thank you so much to all of you who sent me feedback so far...you guys are awesome!  
  
  
As Liz wiped the counter down later that day she realized she was looking forward to becoming friends with Isabel. She grinned as she remembered sitting in Biology earlier, thinking over the whole situation. She had the terrible thought that Isabel might just be working up to asking her about Kyle or Max. But then Liz had realized that although she didn't know everything about Isabel one thing she knew well enough was that Isabel was always one to speak her mind.  
  
Maria was glad to see Liz smiling again. She was the only one who knew why Liz was so sad all the time. Maria looked over at the pass-through window and smiled at Michael, happy to see him working so hard. Maria knew how difficult it had been for Michael to approach Max and Isabel's dad with the request for help in gaining his independent status. Ever since he had won his freedom Michael had taken his job very seriously and was fiercely proud of his ability to support himself.  
  
She had to fight back the feelings of selfishness that arose whenever she thought about what Liz had done. A part of her was glad that Liz had sacrificed everything, because it meant that Michael was alive. Well that sounded stupid but Maria didn't know how else to think about it. In the future Liz had altered Michael had died in the year 2014. The logical part of Maria's brain reminded her that the future that lay before all of them now was not necessarily going to be better. The illogical part of her brain just hummed with happiness because she was near Michael. Unfortunately for her Liz's plight and her subsequent revelation of the future that had been planned forced Maria to think about things. Mostly she thought about general things like you would if you heard about the future like "I want to spend more time with my friends", or "I guess Algebra has no purpose in the real world after all." But there was one thing that really had Maria's brain working in overdrive. She couldn't stop thinking about it, and she didn't want to ask Liz about it because it would seem pretty selfish. Well actually it was selfish, Maria admitted to herself.   
  
The one question that burned in her brain day and night was simply: Where had she been when Michael died? Why hadn't she been there with him? She remembered what the fortuneteller had told her about her relationship with Michael. But she found it impossible to believe that things had deteriorated so much between them that she had exited his life completely before he died. So that left her wondering what could have happened to her, and the thoughts that answered her were too horrible to contemplate for long.  
  
Liz telling Maria about the future had made Maria want to run into Michael's arms and stay there forever, never letting him out of her sight. But she knew he still felt like he had to protect her. So she comforted herself with the reminder that Liz's sacrifice had changed the future for everyone. Maria couldn't help but feel like a new hope had been born within her. She knew she would end up with Michael again. It was just a matter of time.  
  
As Michael concentrated on flipping burgers he knew how ridiculous it was to feel so proud of his work. But then he would look up at Maria and see the same look of pride reflected in her face and he felt better about himself than he ever had. He would never admit it to anyone, but he felt like he lived his life to make Maria glad she knew him. He still wasn't convinced it was safe to be together but as long as he had her in his life he knew things would be okay.  
  
Another thing he would never admit to is how he felt about the whole Liz/Max thing. Michael knew something was up. He didn't believe for a second that Liz had slept with Kyle. Michael and Liz shared a secret that no one-including Maria and Max-knew about...Michael had read Liz's journal. Back in the beginning of this whole fiasco Michael had "borrowed" Liz's journal to see if she was having thoughts of turning them in. And what he had read had humbled him. Liz had just assumed she would do anything for them, it wasn't even a question. What's more she saw the potential for them to be friends-all of them-and not just because of Max. But it was because of what she wrote about Max that Michael knew she hadn't slept with Kyle. The way she described how Max made her feel and how she felt about him had an enormous impact on Michael, in fact it changed his life.  
  
Reading about and then witnessing the love between Max and Liz made Michael long for something he thought he'd given up on long ago. He had spent most of his life searching for the home he never had. But then Liz was shot and the whole world changed. Sure there were negatives like the FBI and Skins, but there were so many positives. Michael had friends, a job, a home of his own, and he had opened himself up to love. The shooting and the events that followed had given them more questions, yes, but more answers than even Michael had dared to hope for.  
  
He returned to his grilling and reflected on the most likely reason there was more to the Kyle/Liz saga than was public knowledge: Maria wasn't talking about it. That fact prompted his curiosity more than any of his mushy musings, he acknowledged.  
  
But he wasn't going to look into it. When the "Royal Four's" destinies had been revealed Liz had walked away, and Max would have gone after her if Michael hadn't stopped him. And the only reason he stopped Max was because of the courage it had taken Liz to let go. Michael knew perhaps better than Max even how Liz felt about Max, and he knew that if she felt like this was the right thing to do he should help her.  
  
Michael had told Maria he believed in creating his own destiny, and yet they all acted like things were set in stone. It was this lack of knowledge that kept them stagnant. When Max had gone to the conference without him, Michael had secretly hoped they wouldn't be going to their home planet anytime soon.  
  
They all needed more information and more time. But as Michael watched Maria take an order he knew there would never be enough time for him to ready himself to leave her forever.  
  
Maria walked over to hand in her order and caught Michael watching her. She would have called him on it but just then a busload of tourists pulled up. She sighed and grabbed an extra order pad.  
  
"Liz, it's about to get crazy," Maria announced, jostling Liz out of her reverie. She looked in the direction Maria was pointing and gave a matching sigh of her own. It was going to be a long night, but at least she had something to look forward to later.  
  
Isabel stood outside of Max's door, unsure of what to do. Did she ask for a ride to the Crashdown? Should she just casually announce she was going there and see how he reacted? She still hadn't decided when the door opened. Max was predictably surprised to see his sister hovering in the hallway.  
  
"Um, what's up Isabel? Do you need to talk to me or something?"  
  
Isabel recovered quickly and schooled her features to remain impassive.  
  
"Uh no. I was just going to tell you that I'm headed over to the Crashdown in case I get any calls."  
  
Before Max could respond Isabel continued.  
  
"Oh, did you need the jeep? If you want to drop me off or something..." she trailed off, knowing she sounded like she was hiding something.  
  
"Actually I was already going to make a trip to the Crashdown. I told Michael I'd pick him up after his shift."  
  
"Doesn't he have plans with Maria?"  
  
At that Max smiled.  
  
"No. I guess Maria's mom wants to have some quality bonding time so Michael's left without plans, unless of course he wants to bond too."  
  
They both laughed at that image.  
  
"So will you give me a ride over, then?" Isabel asked.  
  
"Sure. Just let me grab my jacket."  
  
As they got into the jeep Max turned to Isabel.  
  
"You know, this might be a good time for us to talk."  
  
Isabel hurried to cut him off.  
  
"I know we need to, Max, but I'm just not ready, okay? I need more time to process everything."  
  
"Iz, this is important."  
  
Isabel sighed. In truth she had been surprised he had held off for this long.  
  
"Okay, okay. But I'm not agreeing to talk if I'm uncomfortable with any aspect of our topic."  
"Fair enough."  
  
Isabel surprised herself and Max by starting the conversation.  
  
"Okay. I guess the right thing to say first is that I owe you an apology."  
  
"What for?"  
  
"I should have realized sooner that Lani and Rath were up to no good."  
  
"Iz..."  
  
"No, let me finish. It startled me to see them, obviously, but it blew me away when I talked to Lani about being Vilandra. Because she had no problem being Vilandra, and I wondered if I was supposed to be okay with it too, instead of being horrified at the thought of acting like Congresswoman Whitaker said I did."  
  
"But that's just it, Iz, and it's something that hit me and I can't believe I didn't think of it sooner. Congresswoman Whitaker is who gave you this information. All of us are so hungry for information about who we are and where we're from that we believe anything from anyone. We've really been acting naïve about everything and we need to be more careful about processing the information we get."  
  
Isabel just sat there, dumbstruck. She had never even considered that the Congresswoman had lied.  
  
"You're right, Max. I never thought about that. I just accepted it as truth, no questions asked. We need to tell Michael and Tess, too."  
  
As they pulled up to the Crashdown a thought hit Max.  
  
"Is there a special reason you wanted to come here, Isabel?"  
  
Well here goes nothing, Isabel thought.  
  
"Yeah, I'm meeting Liz. We're going out tonight."  



	4. Chapter Four

As Isabel walked through the door she was surprised to find The Crashdown as packed as she had ever seen it. She slowly made her way through the crowd, scanning the room for Liz as she gently moved people to one side or another to get past them.  

She ended up waiting for Liz to appear between the counter and the kitchen door. The counter was cool to the touch and Isabel amused herself by tracing its patterns with her ring finger. 

When Isabel finally spotted Liz it was apparent that she was swamped. Her arms held a large brown platter and there were six white china dishes and a half dozen tall crystal glasses perched precariously on it. 

She balanced it between her hip and the edge of the table while she handed the meals out. Giving the customers a few straws and some extra napkins she turned and made her way back towards the kitchen. 

She was stopped by an elderly couple who needed a refill of their coffees. Smiling over her shoulder at something the gentleman said Liz made her way over to the serving counter where the coffee pot was brewing. Isabel hated to bring notice to herself but she figured she needed to call out to Liz and get her attention and at least let her know she was here.

"Liz!"

Responding to the sound of her name she whirled around, coffee pot in hand.  She smiled and waved to Isabel. Making her way over to the couple's table she motioned to Isabel to come over. They met in the middle of the restaurant and Isabel followed her as she put the coffee pot back and journeyed back towards the kitchen.

"Hey Isabel, you're early!"

"Um, yeah. About that. Max gave me a ride over because he's picking Michael up."

Liz ceased walking. She looked around the restaurant and frowned, both because she didn't see Max and because she was annoyed with herself for reacting to the mere mention of his name. She felt her cheeks flush crimson and her breathing quicken.

"I don't see him."

Isabel just smiled without bothering to look around for her brother.

"Well I left him in the car. Just as we pulled up he suddenly asked me why I needed a ride tonight. I told him we were going out after your shift. I think he's still recovering from the shock."

Both girls started to laugh, only to be interrupted by Michael ringing the service bell.

"Hey! This food doesn't serve itself!"

Liz squinted at Michael and stuck her tongue out at him. She giggled when he rolled his eyes.

"I'd better go. Find a seat if you can."

"Do you need some help? If you have an extra uniform I wouldn't mind."

Liz looked at Isabel as if she had suddenly morphed into chocolate.

"Are you serious?"

Isabel laughed at Liz's expression. It was so hopeful that she had the urge to tease her and say no, just to see what would happen. But she decided to pass and just end Liz's torment quickly.

"Sure. I mean I don't mind waiting for you anyway and if I help then we'll be done and on our way that much quicker, right?"

Liz couldn't help herself. She was so grateful to receive help that she threw her arms around Isabel and enveloped her in a spontaneous embrace. Isabel was shocked but responded with a brief squeeze. Liz pulled back and grabbed Isabel's hand, towing her along behind her into the kitchen.

"Oh that'd be great! Ever since Courtney…well, you know, we've been short but until tonight it hasn't really overwhelmed us."

As the girls appeared Michael looked up from the grill.

"Hey." His greeting was brief and he immediately turned his attention back to the food.

"Liz why don't you go serve that stuff and by the time I've changed you can show me where the next order goes?"

"Ok. I'll be back as soon as I can."

Liz went to retrieve the food and Isabel went towards the employee lockers. Seeing the one that Courtney had used she opened it and found a clean uniform inside. That whole Courtney thing had been weird. She had tried to seduce Michael and just when it seemed like she was going to betray them all she saved them from Nicholas. 

Closing the bathroom door behind her Isabel began to change. As she pulled the soft cashmere sweater over her head and replaced it with the slightly stiff polyester of the uniform she wondered if Max would ask her about her and Liz going out. His expression had been priceless, she recalled with a grin.

He was probably still in the jeep with that same look frozen on his features. Eyes wide, mouth slightly agape, hands gripping the steering wheel in a deathgrip so tight the knuckles of his hand were blanched. She hoped he would come in soon.

Michael looked up as Isabel exited the tiny bathroom and made her way over to the lockers. As she put her clothes in a locker he called over to her.

"Thanks. This is going to help a lot."

She smiled at him and had just put her hand on the swinging door when a thought struck her. She had been so caught up in getting Liz's attention that she had forgotten that she and Max had talked about something in the car that Michael needed to know. Swinging around she strode over to Michael's side and leaned in close to whisper.

Michael was momentarily surprised to see her when he twisted back toward the side of the grill Isabel was standing near. But then he quickly became annoyed.

"What?" he growled.

"It's important, Michael. I forgot to tell you about it earlier and Max will fill you in completely later--if he ever gets up the nerve to come in, that is."

His curiosity was piqued in spite of himself.

"So tell me already."

"It's just that I was talking to Max about Lani and Rath."

This time the astonishment lasted longer than an instant. She had talked to Max about them? He knew that Isabel had been avoiding the topic for a while now because of what she had discovered. He wondered what it was that had prompted her to finally open up about it.

Isabel interpreted his look correctly.

"Yeah I know. But I was apologizing for not realizing what they were really like. Anyway, as I was getting ready to go into this whole speech Max stopped me and said something that just blew me away. He said that it was Congresswoman Whitaker who told me about my past self and all that stuff I did. And I just believed it without question. He said we've been so hungry for clues about ourselves that we believe anyone who has information, or even appears to. He said we need to be more careful about processing the information we get and about trusting the sources we get it from."

"Oh my god." Michael stood dumbfounded. His spatula was poised above the grill and it was only a splatter of hot grease on his hand that jerked him out of his thoughts.

"Yeah I know." Isabel agreed.

"I never thought that Congresswoman Whitaker or the Skins lied. I never even considered that it was possible."

"We need to tell Tess, too." Isabel said. She was about to say something else when Maria made her way into the back.

"Hey Isabel. Liz sent me back here to let you know who needs what and all that."

"Oh. Ok. Well I'll talk to you later, Michael."

"Yeah. Ok, Isabel." He turned back to his cooking, more anxious than before for his shift to be over.


End file.
